- Date
- August 2, 1991, 20:33 local (Aug 3, 1991, 03:33 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5277LPiper PA 28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910802031539A
- Case key
- 27019
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper airspeed by employing an excessive angle of attack during the takeoff climb during a go-around resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent inflight loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's poor approach planning, compensation for wind conditions and a high density altitude.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A Piper pa 28-180 collided with portable buildings on the airport after an in flight loss of control. The pilot reported having problems receiving radio transmissions. The air traffic control tower cleared the pilot to land on the rwy most into the wind. The airplane continued past the active rwy and approached a perpendicular rwy resulting in a quartering tailwind. The airplane overshot the final approach course of the perpendicular rwy and initiated a go-around. During the go-around witnesses observed the airplane not gaining altitude and at a slow airspeed. The witnesses also indicated the sound of the engine appeared normal. The airplane then turned right, into a quartering headwind, stalled, and descended vertically to the ground. The wind velocity at the time of the accident was 13 KTS. The density altitude was computed to be about 7,500 feet MSL. According to the pilot operating handbook for the Piper pa 28-180, the airplane should have been capable of a 375 foot per minute rate of climb.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5277L
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-4576
- Airframe hours
- 251
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Squadron 2
- Registered owner
- Niemann, David L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 1, 1991 · 4,695 hours before
- Departed
- OAK · Oakland, CA
- Airport
- RNO · Reno, runway 16, 10,000 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 145 in this make and model · 369 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5277L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.